The present invention is intended as an improvement on padlock assemblies. More specifically, the present invention intends to provide a padlock wherein the shackle is removable such that alternate shackles may be employed on the same lock body.
A wide variety of padlock assemblies have been developed in the art field. Indeed, various padlocks have been developed which may either be key operated, and within that category, operated by single-bitted flat keys, or tubular keys. Other padlocks are operated by means of a combination code which basically employ coded combinations of usually three numeric designations in order to unlatch the lock. In most applications, the purpose of the padlock is to engage one of the shackle legs into a locked position when the padlock is in its locked mode, and permit the user to operate the lock into an unlocked position to release the single shackle thereby opening the lock for the user to gain access to the lock compartment.
The present invention has its specific improvement the ability to remove the entire shackle from the lock body in order to permit the user to use alternate shackles, especially those perhaps of an increased length or height such that the same lock may be employed for different uses. For example, an enlarged shackle is used in such applications as bicycle locks or other applications where an enlarged shackle must be employed, and in reverse, some applications require a shackle with a very short height. In the past, it has been necessary to purchase different locks employing different shackle heights in order to accommodate different applications. The present invention is intended to provide a single lock body which may be provided with a series of varying shackle lengths such that the same lock may be employed for different applications by simply removing one shackle from the lock body, and employing the shackle of a height required for the purpose intended.
While the prior art has heretofore developed padlocks with removable shackles, it is believed that the present padlock assembly constitutes an improvement in terms of the operational characteristics of such types of padlocks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,566 shows a padlock having a removable shackle. However, the subject padlock requires a specialized lock which is screw-threadedly mounted into the lock body, in order to manipulate the lock bolt body contained therein. Further, the lock mechanism is operated by a special tubular key which has a unique design in order to operate the unique lock. Therefore, the subject padlock cannot accommodate a typical single-bitted type key and lock combination or a tubular lock and key combination.
The same comments are applicable with respect to U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,567, which is a patent related to the U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,566 patent in that it is a Divisional patent to an alternate embodiment. Once again, the lock and key combination which must be employed in order to construct and operate the subject padlock assembly is a specialized unit, and therefore requires the user thereof to stock only the subject padlock and further requires the use of a specialized lock and key.
Another variation of a padlock having a removable shackle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,715. In this particular construction, the lock mechanism employs a single lock plate having a pair of opposed arms which are operated by the lock cylinder and key combination. It will be appreciated that the operator may possibly place the lock plate into a position such that both shackles are removable when that is not the desired intention. This results from the fact that the entire lock plate is operable in response to the movement of the lock cylinder, which operates in response to the key. It will be appreciated from the following specification that the present invention provides a padlock assembly wherein the one shackle leg is removable by the operation of the lock mechanism, while the second shackle leg is only removable upon the manipulation of a second locking means to insure that the lock plates stay in place so that the assembly will operate as a padlock when so intended, while still permitting the shackle to be totally removable from the lock body.